– BARNETT VS. ARLOVSKI HEADLINES AFFLICTION 2

by MMAWeekly.com Staff
Affliction on Monday announced via its website the main event for its next event on Oct. 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, pitting a match-up of two former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholders in Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski.

Originally, top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko was rumored to be in the fight against Arlovski, but an apparent hand injury will keep the Russian fighter sidelined for at least the October show.

Arlovski steps into his second Affliction bout fresh off the heels of his dismantling of former International Fight League standout Ben Rothwell on July 19.

The Belarus native worked with famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach prior to the fight and his striking looked outstanding, as he seemed to beat Rothwell to the punch on almost every exchange. The former UFC champion looked extremely impressive in his first fight outside of the Octagon in almost eight years.

His opponent, Josh Barnett, settled a bit of a grudge match with Pedro Rizzo during his fight at the first Affliction show. Barnett knocked Rizzo out in stunning fashion, which avenged the loss he suffered at the hands of the Brazilian in the UFC in 2001.

Now Barnett and Arlovski will square off in a fight that will likely determine the No. 1 contender for Fedor’s heavyweight WAMMA crown.

More fights could be announced from Affliction in the coming days including a rumored Affliction middleweight championship bout between Vitor Belfort and Matt Lindland, as well as a possible fight between Tito Ortiz and Renato “Babalu” Sobral.